Stranger Looking In
by Crystal Star Night
Summary: TMNT: 100 Theme Challenge. A ninja life is dangerous, sometimes it comes with a price, like Mikey's head for example.
1. 100 Theme Challenge

TMNT: 100 Theme Challenge

1\. Intro

2\. Smile

3\. Dark

4\. Light

5\. Heaven

6\. Breathe

7\. Insanity

8\. Misfortune.

9\. Holiday

10\. Silence

11\. Turtle

12\. Blood

13\. Grey

14\. Foreign

15\. Sorrow

16\. Happiness

17\. Under The Rain

18\. Night

19\. Under The Stars

20\. Hold My Hand

21\. Eyes

22\. Abandoned

23\. Dreams

24\. Teamwork

25\. Dying

26\. Childhood

27\. Deep In Thought

28\. Booyakasha

29\. Keeping A Secrete

30\. Waiting

31\. No Way Out

32\. Fairy Tale

33\. Magic

34\. Do Not Disturb

35\. Multitasking

36\. Horror

37\. Hero

38\. Annoyance

39\. I Can't

40\. Are You Challenging Me?

41\. Mirror

42\. Broken Pieces

43\. Test

44\. Heal

45\. Frozen

46\. Seeing Red

47\. Pain

48\. Leadership

49\. Brainiac

50\. Joker

51\. Outcast

52\. Hothead

53\. Drowning

54\. Give Up

55\. Last Resort

56\. In The Storm

57\. Safety First

58\. Puzzle

59\. Solitude

60\. Relaxation

61\. Pets

62\. Imaginary Friends

63\. Obsession

64\. Relief

65\. Desperation

66\. Music

67\. Courage

68\. Paranormal

69\. Things To Fangirl Over

70\. Movies

71\. Support

72\. Incognito

73\. Black Cat

74\. Training

75\. Caves

76\. Bicycling

77\. Travel

78\. Treats

79\. Guidance

80\. Green

81\. Key

82\. Fight

83\. Gift

84\. Backstabber

85\. Adventurous

86\. Curious

87\. Crush

88\. Hug

89\. Autumn

90\. Winter

91\. Cherry Pie

92\. Kiss

93\. Spy

94\. Exhausted

95\. Focus

96\. Worm Eye View

97\. Birds Eye View

98\. Sunset

99\. Mastery

100\. Celebration

Lets see how far I get : 3 Thanks for reading and do leave a comment. It helps.


	2. 001: Intro

001 Intro

A new gang enters into new york called Little Devils, they have taken root and the numbers increasing by the week. Its pretty much a big ladies club, no men allowed.

Orange found himself in a pickle, blood tickling down from a bullet in his right leg. It felt like a ball and shackle as it weighs him down from escaping four persistent members whom did not seem to enjoy the sight of a mutant like him.

He really outdid himself this time. The moon and city lights makes it hard to disappear and lose them, the air has a chill to it. Step by step, the LD came closer to him, one shouts in a raspy voice 'show no mercy to that monster!''

He couldn't begin to describe the fear he feels, like death on his heels. No matter how much air he consumes it's like he couldn't breathe. Ashamed of being this monsters humans are repulsed by.

"No!" he desperately shouts as his leg gives out from beneath him.

"Michelangelo!" As orange falls a person of great strength catches him, he could hear the growling coming off from this person.

His heart skips in his chest, its all over now that he has been caught. The knowledge of this being the end really sinks in as he waits for his readies himself for his skull to be bashed in. "Easy bro."

Orange's body shakes when the stranger touches him, but no further pain came to him as he is set gently against a wall of a apartment building. The feeling of death did not loom over him, making him brave enough to open his eyes to see what is happening to him.

"I.." He spoke weakly, "I.. don't…"

"You lot will pay dearly for this, get ready for a good old fashion butt kicking!"

This person is a monster like him, now he understands why people fear him. He couldn't look at that his freaky face without feeling knots in his stomach. Wide eyes, properly alarmed by his appearance as it is the first time seeing it. He held a face of a murderer.

"Uge!" He flinches in pain and coughs hard, feeling himself lose consciousness from the amount of blood loss. The turtle monster that wears the color red, he is eliminating the foes like flies. They got swatted down hard. Yet every so often, orange could catch him glancing at him in worry. Breathing harder, the trembling of his body increases.

That is the last thing he remembers.

Waking up is not pleasant. Lethargic, disorientate, hurting, and beyond terrified. Just going by the smell alone he is aware that this isn't somewhere he knows. Wishing to keep his eyes shut, go back to the world of unconsciousness till it was safe to leave. He is a big coward and he knows it, and sleeping away his problems sounds like a sensible solution.

His heart quickens, he feels the sensation of somebody holding his hand, given it was by a stranger it did not comfort him by any means. Turning his head is a harder task then he first thought, his entire body felt stiff. He opens his eyes, and his jaw drops.

"You…" He starts as he raises to point a finger but fails to move his arm. It was the monster.

"Mikey, You've been shot, don't try and move. I am here for you, drink and rest some more, our reunion can wait when your stronger."

The voice sounds different, but the creature puts a straw to his lips and orange accepted the drink. His throat felt so dry and the cold liquid remedy it in large gulps. Slowing down enough to ask a single question in a low voice. "What happened to your red mask?"

Of all the questions he has in his head, this one he fixated on. Blue didn't suit this creature like red did.

"Your humor still intact I see." Blue nearly frowns from this joke. That responds did not settle with him so orange did not further press this question.

"I'm.. tired." Orange whispers as he closes his eyes. Letting go of the straw and the heavens above grants him his wish to sleep in longer.

"I will be by your side brother."

That is all he hears, his dreams are a dark place of serenity. Resting as his body works hard on preparing the damage tissues. Yet the feeling of a threat lingers, knowing that in the real world there are strangers watching him for whatever purposes.

Awakening in better spirits, his mind is clearer then before. Yawning as he rubs the sleep from his eyes. In his room is four strangers now, Orange nearly chokes on the air itself as he felt tension between them. All turtles like him that wore colors, red, blue and purple. He realizes why Blue didn't like his question earlier. Purple he has yet to meet. The last member is a mutant rat, biting into his knuckles to keep him from screaming in fear at the sight of him.

He felt their gazes aimed at him, like they're expecting some kind of reaction from him, orange didn't play their games, scared stiff he is.

Red makes the first move and approaches him, leaning forward to embrace him but orange didn't think he looks comfortable, he swore his muscles could cut diamonds. Shying away did not stop the hug, letting out a awkward squeal. No pain is brought to him, just tons of tears from the stranger.

Looking at the other monsters, he couldn't get a read on their faces.

"Don't you ever scare us like that again, hear me Mikey? Never again." Red spoke with passion, okay this is getting too awkward for him to endure. He didn't know what to say or do. Still frozen in his place as he tries to wrap his mind around this.

His second gripe is his name. Mikey - They all thought this is his name for some reason. Whoever they are, friend or foe, he did not want to be associated with friends like them. They all carried old fashion weapons, it will be no good against a gun and it looks ridiculous. It'll give him a bad street rep. It will be safest to pretend to be this Mikey if it means freedom and a chance to get away from these lunatics.

Awkwardly he wraps a single arm around the crying brother. "Heh, there there." Maybe he should work on his sincerity act.

Red felt like he is being patronize and quickly lets go, shamefully backing away. Mikey knew he hurt his feelings and this is getting to be even more awkward. Didn't think It was possible to be more awkward but it keeps reaching to a new low.

They are unpredictable and he couldn't stop the sensation of pure fear dancing in his gut. Blue tries his approach, he kneels by the bed as he reaches out to Mikey, he saw the flinching in his muscles, so he stops.

"I am thrilled to have you back." Blue starts as he lowers his arms, trying to speak softly to help the uneasiness in his brother. "Last we saw of you, there was an explosion on a ship. We thought you were dead. What happened?"

"Yeah, you could of came home at least to let us know you're okay.." Purple stays in the far back, he is calmer then the rest of them. For whatever reason, Mikey finds it hard to completely dislike that one. His demeanor wasn't scary.

Having absolutely no idea on what they are talking about, he thinks creatively and goes with the flow of the conversation. "After the very-scary-life-threatening explosion. It made me rethink on what I wanted in life and dying wasn't one of them. So I set off on my own journey.."

Everyone shot looks of concern now and the room grew quiet as they all are puzzling on new questions that they weren't sure if they should ask. Donatello looks offended by the simple answer.

"I think its time to give him a break. I need a moment with him." The rat says to them. They all have the highest respect for their father but the same time Red didn't want to leave the room. The tension was there, but purple just taps him on the shell. "Least we have him back, that's the main thing, come on and lets go." Purple says to the growling turtle, but grudgingly so he follows purple out of the room.

Blue stops at the doorway for a brief second. "I will be at this door if you need anything, just ring that bell by the table - and please, if you over-use it, you will regret it. I'll be right outside this door." Just like that he is gone.

Mikey groans in dismay, he did not need any guards! That hinders his escape plan. Now it was just him and this rat, what is he suppose to call him? Any of them? The rat just patiently waits for the brothers to stop trying to listen in on their conversation. Once he is sure they are gone, he spoke.

"I sense you have many questions of your own."

Mikey fell silent as he looks away from the stranger shyly, his hands fidgets. "No."

"You are now among family that loves you deeply. There is no need to be scared of us."

Now Mikey gives a suspicious glance at him, making that eye contact as though looking for the trickery in his face.

"You do not remember us. Despite the odds, you found your path back home." There is a definitive warmth in the rats presence.

Mikey quivers. "How did you know?"

The rat raises a small smile. "A father knows when his son is gazing upon strangers, deciding if they are dangerous or safe."

He saw right through him, that is beyond creepy. "Sorry pops, I don't see the family resemblance." Mikey says in disbelieve of the whole family notion, he has no emotions that tells him that this is home or that he is his father.

"Not yet." He grabs a clutch from the corner of the room, walks back to the bed and hands it over to Mikey. "Let me introduce you to our family."

Mikey bit his lip, whatever got him out of this room is a good enough reason to him to obey. He needs to scope out this lair. "What do they call you?"

Fondly he replies, "Master Splinter"

The first thought that enters his mind, who calls themselves master? That is a pretty mighty title to be given to an old greaser. Testing out his leg, he slides into a sitting position on the side as he looks at the fresh bandages, whatever they did the pain wasn't as bad as before. He adjust to the clutches as he manages a few hops, keeping off his injured leg. "Lets get one thing straight, I don't know who you are or why you want to be called Master, but I am not your servant."

Michelangelo spoke in a seriousness that the likes of Master Splinter hasn't heard of, Splinter gives a belly full of a laugh. "Come, lets find you something to eat."

Mikey glares at the laugh, not sure what to quite make of it. Part of him is seriously debating the chances of escape if he makes a break for it now. Eager to get away to safety but his stomach growl sides with Splinter and food.

As they leave the room, blue stood up neatly and greets them. "Father, Mikey." Like promised he is right outside the door waiting. "Please, will you fetch us some dinner?" Master Splinter asks and the son did not hesitate to comply. "On it!" He leaps away and runs off.

"What do you guys eat….?" Mikey never considered what their diet is, for all he knew they enjoyed a daily shoe for dinner. Splinter ignores the questions with a gleam of humor in his eye.

In the living room, they sat down on a couch. It was worn down and filled with stains, but comfy. This couch is about the only thing that felt homely to him. "Lets start with Donatello." He points to the purple mask turtle, his arms crossed as he is chatting casually with Red while he benches weights.

Mikey is completely listening to him which is a first. "He is the second oldest and a genius. He took that bullet out from your leg and always creating something new, hes an inventor and the most passive of the brothers."

Making a mental note to thank Donatello before he tries to escape, he took that small summery and move on to the red turtle. "What about him? He doesn't look friendly or passive, honestly I think hes a psycho."

"That is Raphael, he has a temper that we been working on for years. You used to provoke him for fun."

"No… I can't imagine doing that, like, at all." Mikey says with a sour look, he's sure Splinter is just making that up, His nature is to run away and avoid situations, not create them.

"He wont harm you, he's always been rough around the edges. In truth you disappearing has hurt him, hurt them all in different ways. I think when you get to know him you will find his soft spots. Under all that attitude is a good heart that does everything to protect his family. He feels more deeply then the rest of the family.

Master Splinters inside did make him feel a little bit better and safer around these strangers. Chewing on his lip, he looks down at his hands in thought. "Heh… looks like you have your hands full with this family."

"Indeed, now its complete." He nods in agreement, taking care of the family keeps him very busy.

"Last one, who is blue?"

"Leonardo is the eldest, he is very wise for his age but very young yet… he has much to learn if he wants to master the way of ninjutsu."

"Ninny-what?!" Mikey interrupts Splinter as he looks completely puzzled on what he had just said.

Splinter sighs, he hates putting it simply. "Its a fighting style associated with being a ninja."

Mikey snorts at hearing the word ninja, he sneers "Go on."

"He is dependable and keeps everyone in check, makes time for each of his brothers as his role as Leader."

Mikey laughs now, Ninja, leader, ninjutsu, words that told him he is being played with. "Not like he has anything better to do then keep an eye on them, not much of a social life being us."

"That is why we walk the path of Bushido and stick to the shadows, the world above will never accept us.."

"Ahem." Leonardo has returned and stood behind Mikey with Chinese food in hand. Mikey girly yelps as he nearly jumps out of his skin. "Very funny, I don't have anything to do? Calling the kettle black. I do way more in a single hour then you do in a week!"

Mikey fell into silence as he is timid now. Leonardo presses on. "Life of a ninja is hard and fueled by Chinese food." He smiles as he then shouts loudly. "Supper!"

"Oh yea!" Raphael says with excitement.

"Starving here!" Donatello smiles widely.

In a full ninja fashion, they flip, somersault and leap over the couch, seating themselves next to him in effortless motions.

As they ate, Mikey says nothing and just watches as they gabble down the meals. The idea of them being real ninja's sank in slowly.


	3. 002: Smile

; 3

 **002 Smile**

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, that is a mouthful. Words like, Mikey, Brother, Son, Family, is spoken with so much love but meant nothing to him. He doesn't know much about family or who Mikey is, felt wrong for those names to be entitled to him. Master Splinter agreed to his request to not tell the others of the situation, not until he can conduct an investigation of his own that will prove if this is a place is actually connected to him.

The day passes without incident, just a few whispers in the living room. The following day he is awoken by those same whispers. Fortunately, they have yet to demand answers or over-crowd him. Kept a respectful distance and to themselves. They, however, did not whisper as quietly as they thought they did.

"It's possible he is suffering from PTSD." Donatello says in a hush voice.

"We face life and death situations every day, I doubt an explosion would break him. There is more to this, I just feel something is off." Leonardo answers calmly, but his face is perplexing.

"That's not how PTSD works…" Donatello murmurs to himself.

"Before he got shot, I saw him with a purple dragon chick, maybe he started a new family and ditched us!" Raphael shouts but immediately receives hushing noises from the two brothers.

"Or maybe he has been doing some uncover work he isn't ready to share his findings." Donatello says.

"Mikey? Nah, he doesn't have the attention span. He won't let any of us get near him." Raphael says.

"He's been gone a month, who knows what he's been through. Give him time." Leonardo says

"Or he's a traitor or brainwashed, or a robot." Raphael says darkly.

Their curiosity and caution rivals his own. With an argument brewing this makes as the perfect time to siege the opportunity and sneak away into their bedrooms. Perhaps if he has a look in their rooms, he may learn more about them.

Entering the first room that belongs to Donatello. Nothing in this room that particularity intrigues him. Dimly light, mattress on the floor with files and pieces of papers scattered in every corner of the bed. A table stretches against the wall. Tools, gadgets, wires and general junk he could not recognize. It didn't convince him that Donatello is a genius.

The room has a bad smell to it, like oil and chemicals.

There is a shrug, the bedroom did not feel very homely but then again, it isn't like the family is crawling in riches. Daring himself to sit on the edge of the bed, keeping an eye out for any bugs or disgusting critters. Carelessly he grabs one of the many files and reads it with a bored look, it was dumb weather reports for the past month and a half. "Okay?" Confused, he tosses it and picks up another, a useless map of New York's waterways. Looks homemade.

Turning the page in the file he found copies of people's identification, along with notes of their religion and personality. Michelangelo's eyes went wide. "Man, extremely illegal. Invading personal privacy.. Identity theft. Stalker-ish and obsessive. This is way intense." Scratching his head, this file left a disturbing aftertaste in his gut. Undoubtedly Donatello is up to something really big and he is tasked to find out what. What is the pattern between the weather reports, waterway map and stolen ID's?

Cautiously he picks up another file, part of him didn't know what dirty secret he stumbled on. If it's really bad, it should be stopped.

This file is a shipments report, coming and going of boats, garbage tanks routes, and police cruiser. A tape fell out that has written on it radio transmissions and its dates. Looking between the two files, the boats and the stolen Id's. He comes to a realization that the ID's belong to the workers on the boats. That is the connection, "Donatello, are you planning a heist?"

Well… For a boring room it sure held up a mystery and secrets. Mikey is impressed, he likes a good mystery.

Vigorously looking through the other papers and files, trying to find something else significant to the troubling questions. Uncovering a black book labeled diary, a grin appears. These things are for girls! How can one tell if Donatello is a girl? Mikey muses and snickers, laying flat on his back, he pops open the book with big childlike eyes. "Leaving this out in the open is just begging for somebody to read it~ Diaries are suppose to be hidden after all."

It's been a month since the accident. I know I have said it enough times in this book, but I am to blame, it was my charges that blew up the ship and Mikey got caught in its blast. We shouldn't even been on that ship. Most likely he is dead, any chances of survival is only if somebody else had rescued him but I got nothing. I poured weeks into my research, hack government sites and stolen documents, watched the people to see if they have a hidden turtle somewhere. All to come up empty, it was my last hope. I feel.. Disgusted with myself, losing him has made me loss all my creativity and drive for my inventions. What good did they do Mikey? None. All I can do now is attempt to find his body in the water, return him home for an honorable burial. Against all statistic, his body eludes me. Maybe he is never meant to be found…. I won't give up, never.

I made a video that is collected of my favorite moments I filmed a of video of him. Turns out my top favorite video is the one that he is smiling the most in. Funny, I thought it would be playing video games or doing something stupid I would hold close. His smile here trumps everything.

There is a tear in the corner of his eyes, trying to use up all his manliness to stop them from dripping down his cheek. Refusing to cry! That is an incredibly sad and dark entry. The regret and longing for his brother is felt in this page, along with the desperation to find him. The bit about the smile really got these tears stinging. He finds the disk on a table, struggling to get up with his injured leg, he limps over and takes it. A rueful expression. "Guilt trip much." He says, wiping away a tear.

Chin up, the investigation is long from over. Continuing into Leonardo's bedroom. Way more decorative and organized than Donatello's room. Japaneses paintings hung on the walls, a bunk bed, two Japanese style dressers. One dresser sitting next to the bed and the other one against its far wall next to a small bookshelf. The room smelled… flowery? A brow raises. In a corner of the room, there is a space for a small red rug and candles circling it. It is an odd tiny space, what did Leonardo use it for?

Despite having a better appearance, it gave off the feeling of boredom. Like there is no secrets in this room, a perfect saintly son. "Come on, gotta be at least one dirty magazine stashed somewhere, nobody that is this clean doesn't have dirty hobby somewhere..." So he searches under the bed, under its mattress, inside the pillows. Everything was neatly in place before the search, this room reminds him of a hotel with its neatness! Sighing with frustration, he moves onto the next thing, dresser beside the bed. Inside is a cleaning kit for his katana's and straps. Extra blankets, scented Candles, matches, first aid kit, A bag of chips, a broken race car, flashlights, rope and much more. This is where he stores everything. Nothing in it said unusual, just odd sorts of collections.

"Laaaaaaaaaame."

The next is a stand up dresser he opens, now for a brief moment Mikey has a crazy laugh and his eyes sparkles. Inside is four boxes, inside three of those boxes are one of the rarest of comic books. He doesn't know how he knew that, but admired them nonetheless, and has to fight the temptation to lay them out on the floor and read all day till somebody has to drag him out. "Leonardo is such a geeeeeeek!"

The last box seems more curious than the comics, maybe this held Leonardo's secrets. Sketchbooks, inside them all is images of super heroes in a crisis or saving the day, doing some superhero pose. Each one told a story and Michelangelo felt it spark his own imagination as he could create random stories for each picture, like it's second nature to him. "Wow… just wow. Geek, leader, artist. Sounds like a tortured soul.. These are beautiful."

Then there is one picture captured in a frame in the box, the image it portrays is asking for trouble: Leonardo is holding a pillow in hand that is being chased by an raging Raphael, Donatello stood between them mindlessly with popcorn and a tv remote in hand, Leonardo and Raphael are about to crash and fight in this picture with Don getting caught up in the middle.

There is a note on the bottom. I hope when we get older, this image never changes. BWT I gave you Raph pillow, sorry, not sorry. Get better soon

Mikey

His lip twitches, this artwork belongs to Mikey, his own hands? He couldn't even fathom the techniques that is used. While memorized, he feels like something great has been lost for good. Leonardo preserved all of these sketches, keeping them clean and concealed so age wont damage the pages. This is a very sweet gesture for the lost brother, it's the same as holding Michelangelo's mind, emotions, and ideal, keeping them alive in these images.

"Kinda makes me wish I had somebody that cares about me like this."

The next room is going to be his favorite. Raphael, he is bound to hold some creepy things in his room. The anticipation grows, he images of human bones casually hanging on the walls, blood on the ground, weapons of mass destruction as his bed's frame work.

What he got is a dark room with a hammock centered in the middle, it felt cramped. He didn't have much, a toolbox in the corner of the room and towels hanging up against his walls with a single punching bag swinging ever so slightly in the back of the room.

Holding his beak at the nauseating scent of turtle stench, who needs locks with a smelly room like this? Pressing his weight on the crutch, he makes his way deeper into this room. Something fluffy rest inside the hammock and Mikey knows that has to be the first place to look. Panting, his body feels weary from all the exploring. Moving the tatter brown blanket that tries to conceal this fluff, Mikey begins to laugh hysterically. "An adorable teddy bear?!" He fell over, the wooden crutch falls to the floor next to him. He will suffer the conscientiousness later with the damage it did to his leg.

The big scary turtle sleeps with a bear, the guy that took out four gang members in a single shot. Tears swell up in his eyes, Splinter wasn't kidding, he has soft spots. To add to the tremendous laughing fit, the bear has what looks to be tear stains. "Can't breathe… for the love of… he cries while holding this thing?"

It was like discovering a bully likes pink sprinkles, or a tough guy that screams and leaps onto a chair when they see a spider. These things just never happened. Totally not cool at all.

Getting up in a hurry, determine to find more cute toys in his room. After an extensive search, he didn't find anything else to laugh at. Rubbing his chin, he did see something tucked away under his pillow. Score! Grabbing it, it is a picture frame. Taking a close look at it, no laughter rose from him as he is stunned into silence.

It was a picture of a freshly woken Mikey at the breakfast table holding that bear close to his chest. He shouldn't of laughed like that, the guilt really hit him hard now that he knows what Raphael has been crying about in his private time. Almost wishing that Raphael would catch him so he could apologize.

A disturbing thing about the photo is that it proves he existed before last month. Thinking back to his earliest memory, he has not once considered a life before waking up. He just appeared and that was it. That turtle in the photo has a scar on his arm, the same scar he carries. Softly he touches his ninja mask, he is orange, but the same design as the others. He honestly could not look away, he searches their rooms to discover their secrets, but in the end his own past is the biggest secret of them all.

Leaving the room, he discovers one last room to check. He didn't like the feeling he has when he approaches it. On the door it reads Mikey. So this would have to be his room.. His gut twists into thinking of what is inside and how it will affect him.

Opening the door, it felt lighter than the other rooms. Properly lit, a bed with a wooden frame and an orange blanket with a white star on it. Given the neatness to the room, he guesses Leonardo has been through here. He is a complete slob.. Or was previous him neat too? Two bookshelves stood out, one completely empty and the other full of movies. Flat screen tv prop on the wall and hook up to a makeshift Blu-ray player. Action figures rest proudly on shelves across the room.

Standing very still as he takes in the smell, the scenery and its energy. A rush of familiarity, memories that could make a person crouch down and cry, or a fleeting memory that is hard to grasp, sickness and fear that makes this room unbearable to be in. Those are the emotions he expected to feel, but in truth it felt just like any other another room he's been in. Nothing special and most certainly did not belong to him. Still feels like he is trespassing.

Since it is technically his, he makes use of the DVD player and pops in the disk he took from Donatello's room and sat down on the bed. Pressing play as it shows him performing tricks on a skateboard and he did hold the hugest smile when he finishes his trick. Kept playing it on repeat as he reflects on the situation. On screen is his body, it is very weird seeing it being used by a stranger.

Least nobody is bothering him in here.

Hours pass by, the video plays in the background while Michelangelo is feeling perturb. Seeing the image on the screen remains to be creepy, the person everyone calls brother, then there is him, he is only half the turtle that guy is. Talented, fluid, childish, a happiness that did not stop. The other brothers, Mikey doesn't know what pain is born from losing somebody. It makes him feel guilty because their pain is comprehensible.

Guilty for not remembering them, they're happy for his return, but their brother is still lost, can he really claim to be the same person? No, he barely knows them. He didn't want to fit into their mold of Mikey's persona simply cause he wears his skin.

Least now he has a sense of Mikey's persona, for all of their suffering he did wish to give them a moment with their brother. They deserve that at least, a sense of false normalcy for one night. He did owe them for saving his life.

He paces around the living room with his crutches, tiny bit of a challenging finding four pillows in this strange underground place and setting them up on the ground. He is nervous, but hides it underneath the big smile, those turtles didn't approach him, just allow him to do his thing with a curious glance every so often to look at him. They didn't know what to make of his actions.

Leonardo stood still on a wooden log, after a while he almost blends in with the room, this turtle by far the hardest to understand. Often he would be caught standing still, training, and more stillness. Why bother? That stillness doesn't actually give benefits. The dedication and balance to the log is incredible, but since stillness is well-mastered, why continue it?

Raphael kept coming and going from an elevator. He's been the most distance.

Donatello hung upside down with two legs wrap around a pole that he made, playing with a 3ds and seemly bored. He's the only normal one.

With a friendly smile and some courage, he shouts "GAME NIGHT!"

He hates how within a few slick moves, almost the very moment those words leave his lips, this entire family surrounds him and didn't so much as take a sound. They will always be there when he calls for them. Their looks are bewilderment and suspicious. As though his action is unnatural for Mikey, or perhaps they didn't expect him to say that with how closed-off he has been with them. There is something in the air that Mikey clearly has to address.

"Look.. I can't explain myself, my disappearance just yet. I promise someday I will but for now I request a peace treaty."

Watching them soften a little, in their eyes he could see their love for him. A love that didn't belong to him anymore. Leonardo spoke for the whole group. "We all miss you and I think we can wait a while longer, just so long as you are here with us."

"Good, Tonight I just want to see you all smile. I missed you guys too."

A simple lie did bring the warmest of smiles from them all.


	4. 003: Dark

; 3

 **003: Dark**

A few days pass and Michelangelo spent it trying to get comfortable with his family. Except for Raphael, that turtle once shows warmth for him, but overnight that turns to ice, now he is just a scary turtle. Every time he walks into the room Michelangelo felt a strong tension that causes the happiest of conversations to die. Best to keep away from him.

"Why are you filming me?" Leonardo asks.

Mikey took notice to the eldest being a morning bird. All for the sake of getting that extra training in. Great time for privacy. With an old camera he found in the lair, he decides to make use of this.

"Duh, you are the star of this clip. The best of the turtle brothers! - Bet you can't do a back flip." Mikey grins as he the camera zooms in on Leonardo.

Being the best is true, but not an answer, "Whatever." Leonardo says humorlessly. The word bet did earn Mikey a scoff and a funny look. "Don't need to insult me Mikey."

"Huh?" Michelangelo didn't understand, but then Leonardo did a triple back flip, then forward flips, side flips, ending with a wall flips all under a minute. His cheeks felt pinkish, a simple flip is child's play. Leonardo didn't break a sweat. "Amazing dude! Glad you didn't get rusty while I was away. Do something more challenging."

Leonardo sighs in annoyance, not wanting to be commanded like a pet, but Mikey seems to be genuine about wanting to see his moves. "Alright Mikey, just this once I will show you what I got."

His moves complimented each other like a dance. A deadly dance. Keeping the camera pan on him, Leonardo enjoyed showing off for a change. In his element and controlled, gave Mikey the shivers to see just how passionate he is in this craft. His heart races.

Hour and a half of footage, it will suffice.

"Great training session, getting me all worked up!" Mikey gives a big thumbs up.

Leonardo has a soft pant while taking a break on the floor. "That's nothing. When your cast comes off, you truly will be getting a real work up when you join me for training, when do I get to see the footage?"

Mikey groans in misery, "Soon…ish…" He answers the question.

"Did you do any training while away?" Leonardo frowns, feeling disappointed.

With a shaken pitched voice he replies. "W-well look at the time~ Ellen is about to come on. See yeah!"

Michelangelo scampers away as fast as his crutches would take him. He could hear a loud and slightly angry Leonardo is calling out to him. He hurries into his bedroom and sits on the edge. His heart is beating harder now, giving him an uneasy feeling of anxiety, guilt, and pain. Focusing on his breathing, he tries to shut off his thought process till he could think rationally.

"Training…. Right. Yeah. Man, I am so doomed.. Calm down.." His hand rest against his chest as they tremble. There is no way he is a warrior like the rest of the family, he can barely cope with a little scorn. Anything negative from these guys makes him jump out of his shell.

A turtle appears in his doorway, at first Mikey thought it's Leonardo, who chased him down for a further lecture. Turning to see it was Raphael holding a box under his arm, Mikey nervously yelps and stands up straight. The tension in the room is critical, all Raphael did is stand there with a glower stare as if deciding something.

Michelangelo broke the silence. "Hey Raph.. What's going on?"

No reply, just more bitter silence. Raphael jaw hardens and his arms go rigid around the box. Mikey couldn't breathe, teetering between his good and bad foot. Fearful to take his eyes off Raphael for a moment as he tries to anticipate what he is thinking, but only met with blank white walls.

Mikey mouth twist as he courageously broke the silence again. "Okay, spill it."

With one hard breath, "Don't ever go into our rooms again." Raphael words are venomous.

Mikey felt a cold chill as he went rigid. "Got it." He retorts, not even trying to deny the fact. But how did he know? Didn't dare to ask him.

"Why did you intrude?"

Mikey heart skips as he replies quickly, "Wanted to see if anything has changed.."

A sharply raise brow. "Has it?" Raphael challenges.

Crap, Mikey has no idea. "Not much?" he says feebly.

Raphael deliberates on that answer, his eyes growing more threatening. "Catch." He tosses the box.

Mikey gasps and uses all his efforts to catch the box, fearing what would happen if he drops it. Staring hard at the box to confirm it has been safely caught, he has a small moment of relief.

"Open it up, welcoming home gift." There is no warmth in Raphael's voice.

Mikey glances back and forth between Raphael's face and the box, he didn't trust this turtle and fears what may be in this box. Perhaps it is a test? Felt like an impromptu test. Studying hard on Raphael lax, but cold body, it's definitely a test.

Wearily, he opens the box up and pulling out the contents while allowing for the box to fall. A shimmer in Mikey's eyes as his grasp the nunchucks, allowing his hands to test out this beautiful weapon, weakly wielding the left and giving it a small swing. Forgetting about Raphael for a moment as he plays with his new toy. "I have only seen these in movies, so cool man!"

The one chuck hit his thigh, he pitchly shouts 'oww.' For a few seconds before going back to his childlike wonder, letting out a giggle. The happiest that any brother has genuinely seen.

Raphael visibly mad. "You don't remember your chosen weapon?" He sneers at the happy turtle, Mikey drops the weapons as he processes Raphael words. Your weapon. A flashback to Donatello's video, he did recall seeing this weapon, but didn't observe it closely.

"Raph-"

"Save it." Raphael snaps, turning around he goes to leave the room, but stops momentarily at the doorway, lingering as he has one last thing to say. "Quilts." He spat out cooly.

"Huh, what?"

"We don't have a birthday, April introduce My Mikey to that concept. Since then, in honor of April he stupidly announces April 1st is our birthday from now on. Every year, he made these really ugly quilts. Knitting didn't come naturally to him and he only did it once a year. None of us understood why he bothered. We usually gave them to the poor and he was none the wiser. When he disappeared, guess we gravitated to the last quilts he made for us. That is what has changed in our bedrooms, and you don't have the slightest clue about anything."

Raphael left stomping out the door.

Mikey sank down to the ground with watery eyes. No words to describe the feeling of the world collapsing in and conspiring to hate him. He is an imposter, a fraud to this family and now Raphael knows it. He grabs hold of his camera and reviews the footage of Leonardo's training, to distract his mine, He filmed Leonardo in hopes of practicing his moves, but in truth it left him feeling more bewildered. Leonardo wants to train with him when his cast is off, surely his failure of doing a simple back flip will alert him to the imposer that he is. Those tears start to roll down his cheek. "Let me guess, the other me never cries too.." he murmurs. "How can I fit in with them?"

A new sensation came over him in his misery, he felt robbed of his talent and life. That nunchuck should be his best friend, but without his memories he is just an ordinary soul. Nothing ninja ran in his veins. He felt bad that they lost their brother, but now it's clear that they never will get him back. Three days and not a single familiar thing.

It's time to escape, run away before the others find out the truth. The truth has become an embarrassment, hard to talk about with them.

That night when the Lair is pitch dark and all his brothers are fast asleep, Mikey leaves his room and explores the quiet lair. Working on memory alone, he proceeds his way to the exit of the lair. Feeling his confidence build up as he successfully manages quiet feet despite having a cast and crutches.

"Hey."

The confidence wilts.

A voice in the silence makes Mikey cowardly shriek. Turning around, he saw a fridge door open and the light contours the image of one of his brothers, wearily he says "uh-huh.." Feeling brain dead as his heart races with anxiety, does he know he is leaving? The running away conversation is not something he wants to discuss.

"Ham sandwich?" A hand stretches towards him with the sandwich.

Going by voice alone, Mikey finally recognizes it as Leonardo's. "No thanks, I was just heading to bed. Goodnight." Mikey says as he starts shuffling off.

"You're going the wrong way, bedrooms are more to the right."

"Phew, sharp as always, night!" He says with a smile, not like Leonardo could see that fake smile in this darkness, but gladly retreats back into his bedroom.

Laying on his bed as he groans, that was simply too close. Almost got busted trying to leave this nightmare of a family. He rests for an hour and decides to try his luck for the second time in the dark. By now Leonardo must be long gone to bed.

Venturing out into enemy territory, again going by memory through the darkness. Feeling his senses sharpen, he was caught once, Now, more determine than ever to make it all the way to the exit. Everything was deadly quiet, couldn't even see his hand in front of his face. In truth, he hates how dark the lair is at night. It didn't take much to feel lost.

His feet get caught up in some wiring, falling hard to the ground as a remote of some kind falls on his head. A button being pushed by accident.

"Mikey, Ruuun!"A shout came from the darkness, rubbing his head as he hesitates, but a new sensation came over him, he felt something light shooting past his arm. Okay, that is kind of cool, he grins before hearing a pew, more of the arsenal fires at him.

Shrieking in fear, he uses his clutches as a shield. It gets hit. "Over here, hurry."

It is Donatello's voice, without question he drops the crutch and makes a painful dive behind what felt like a table. "Why didn't you look where you are going?"

Michelangelo eyes widen at the accusation, waving his arm dramatically. "Dude, it's pitch black!"

"Ha! That excuse may have worked when we were 9." Donatello humors this, but did keep a hint of seriousness of their predicament. "How's the leg?"

"Hurting… It wasn't ready for the dive." Mikey hand rests on his leg, leaving a sting that took some time to decline its way back to normal. With frustration, he replies to Donatello. "Genius! This is your invention that is attacking us! Don't you dare go pinning this disaster on me!" He jibs.

Thoughtfully Donatello scratches his chin, "We need to flank it." Turning to Mikey, his tone is much more serious and down to earth. "You need to distract it and I'll dismantle it."

"Bro, you outta ya mind!" Mikey waves his hand dismissively, then points at his cast. "I can't dodge with this leg."

"You are being ridiculous again." Donatello groans, his Mikey or his family never have a problem with being mobile while injured. "You fought against the shredder and his goons with a sprained ankle. Way tougher than this obstacle."

".…Sprained ankle and a bullet wound are two different things, one annoying and the other life threatening." Mikey just blinks, not sure how a genius could begin to make that distinction. Side note, whose Shredder?

Donatello roughly pushes Mikey out from cover. "Just go on."

Mikey gasps and ducks as something shoots for his head. The pitch darkness did trigger anxiety, it is not his friend. Facing off against an unknown device that kept going pew pew pew per shot! Not knowing the dangers of being hit, he tries his best to avoid it. He found that cool trick again, he could feel the attacks as they miss him. A special sense of darkness he didn't know he had. It allows him to know to dive and roll to the left. The shots miss him, except for one that spatters dead center on his chest that leaves him laying flat on the ground. "I am hit! It's over!"

The gift didn't do him much good.

Donatello came up behind the device and dismantles it with his bow staff. Grabbing the remote the light turns on. "Mikey, it's over…. Mike?" Donatello turns around to see that his brother hasn't made an effort to stand. Getting next to him, he pokes him softly with his staff. "It's just ketchup doofus."

Michelangelo cracks open one eye, swirling a finger on the goop and giving it a taste. Smiling softly at the taste as both eyes open wide, "Hmmm, Pizza hut ketchup."

"April requested me to make a mustard and ketchup dispenser, but as you can see, I may have overdone it when I installed a targeting system. I thought, how cool would it be to just sit on the couch and the dispenser shoots the ketchup on command!"

Mikey looks up dumbfounded, April is a common theme to these turtles. "I am sure you will figure it out and make April happy." He replies with the easiest response. Talking about April could be dangerous, much like how he didn't know his nunchucks, it would be too revealing.

Getting up with the help of Donatello, Don hands him his crutch and the two of them look around. The room is a disaster with mustard and ketchup splashes over the walls, floors, couches and kitchen table. Mikey lets out a giant yawn and stretches. "My it's late, time for bed. I can't seem to keep my eyes open and thanks to you, my leg is murdering me. Night." Mikey departs quickly.

Donatello smiles a tad. "Some things never seem to change."

Behind Donatello, appears Leonardo, who was hidden in the rafts. "Yeah, but he doesn't have his talent. Raphael is right, something is off and I don't like it.."

"He said Mikey didn't recognize his own nunchucks.. Something is seriously wrong."

The two spent an hour cleaning up the living room as they talked.

Mikey sat alone on his bed. Darkness consuming him, the instinct to run away is engraved on his soul. His worries grew louder, Donatello expected him to hold his own against a ketchup and mustard dispensary. That ridiculous scene makes him feel embarrassed. Not being half the turtle they are, couldn't hold a candle to their talents. His leg hurt bad, hugging it softly, trying to will the pain away, but he couldn't even do that. Raphael doesn't trust him and Donatello is surely suspicious now. Oh, how he wishes to fade into this scary darkness. Disappear from their lives for good without looking back. Push them from his memory and return to his life.

The name Shredder kept popping in his mind like an annoying TV ad, he has heard that name spoken before. Just couldn't place it.

Pressing his shell against the wall, he cradles himself as he focuses on his breathing. Reminding himself the walls are not collapsing in just yet. He has one more shot to leave, just has to wait again. Did the brothers ever sleep?

Later he tries again for the third time, he is more determined than ever to leave. Shutting his eyes, he tries to use his senses to feel around the room. Envisioning it in his head, minutes pass and when he opens his eyes. He only got blank, "Come on.." he whispers, he couldn't do the trick now. Pushing on, he moves with caution. Expecting Donatello or Leonardo to get in his way again, which is why it left a surprise when he actually made it to the exit. He couldn't believe it, he made it so far.

As he rushes forward, the lights turn on and the door opens wide. Stopping, standing in front of him is none other than Raphael with an eyebrow raise, arms crossed and a foot tapping on the floor. Leaning forward, he asks "Going somewhere?"

Mikey let out a feminine shriek on the sight of Raphael, why now is Raphael here? Gathering his courage, he points a finger on his plastron chest piece with a tiny snarl in the corner of his lip. "You cannot be coming back now! It's 4 am! What were you doing?"

Raphael head cocks back. "Oh yeah wise-ass? You can't be leaving at 4 am either." he remains icy cold with his persona, stepping forward he lets out a humorless grin. "You are scared that they will discover what I already know, you are a fraud."

"Lay off, I am just going for a stroll. It's been a week since I breathed fresh air." It took courage to talk back to Raphael, but it didn't stop his body from cowardly withering up and leaning away from him, part of him felt exposed as Red has seen through his facade.

Without missing a beat, "Not like you would have gotten far anyways."

Mikey looks confused, but Raphael pointed behind him, turning around is Leonardo and Donatello only a few steps away from him. Screaming as both hands clasp against his cheeks. "How do you guys DO that?"

The silence answers that question: A ninja would know if he's being followed from a close distance. They didn't do anything advance to conceal their whereabouts.

Both turtles look guilty. Leonardo says. "We don't know what is going on, just didn't want you to get hurt or to lose you again."

Donatello adds. "We saw you were leaving and we intercepted your departure."

"Am I not free to leave?" Mikey narrows his gaze at them.

"Yes.. So long as you come back." Donatello says meekly, but in truth none of the turtles trusts him enough to come back and they couldn't lose him again.

That message Mikey got loud and clear. Tearing his eyes away from them, he looks to the ground with a certain resentment. "I see, so I'm trapped."

Shamefully none of them could argue otherwise, "Just till we can figure things out, we can go from there." Leonardo says.

Raphael kept silence, being more cynical minded than his brothers. He didn't waver from his opinions.

"Ohhh, everyone up early. What a surprise!" Master Splinter walks into the room with a warm smile. "Since we are all gathered together, it's time for some training."

Three brothers groan with misery, they haven't slept all night and began to feel the strain of that.

"Excuse me." Mikey faintly says as he returns to his bedroom. This time he sprawls out on the bed, closes his eyes and let the darkness of his room take over his mind. Being trapped did not do well for his anxiety. Eventually, he fell asleep and dreams of darkness consuming him.


	5. 004: Light

: 3

 **004: Light**

A leg cast sucks, made walking hard, showering impossible, and makes him feel incredibly itchy all the time. It is his relief that it came off today, being able to stretch out his leg freely. The injury hasn't fully healed, but he is able to put weight on it safely. The bullet will make a nice addiction scar to his collection, least with this scar he knows the story of how he got it.

"How does it feel?" Donatello asks.

Michelangelo stands up, testing his leg out as he walks around the room. "All better."

"I'm glad." Donatello forces a smile.

"Sorry that I disappointed you."

Donatello pauses, processing the sudden apology. "No you haven't!"

"We haven't managed a full sentence conversation since that night. You haven't looked me in the eye."

"Well… I want you to trust me. You have not told us a single thing about where you have gone and why. If you tell us, we can figure the rest out. Promise." Donatello voice has this pull to it, he may not know it now, but he trusts him the most out of the trio brothers. He couldn't say it out loud, he didn't know where to start that conversation. Leonardo and him are alike, they both promise to figure things out.

"I wanted to thank you for saving my life… I was weary cause you are an inventor. Not a doctor."

That force smiles fade, showing a glimmer of hurt. "I always patch you up, this time shouldn't be any different from the million of other times."

Michelangelo felt a lump in his throat, he grabs his brother's hand and grips tightly. "I mean it, thank you." Donatello looks up at him, taken back by the forwardness from Mikey. Accepting Mikey's thank you. "No problem."

Michelangelo leaves the room, Donatello stands alone in thought for a moment, a light-bulb light up. "H-hey!" He dashes to catch up with Michelangelo, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Tonight, let's go topside! Just you and me, there is somebody who is dying to see you."

Michelangelo froze as an image of a girl with long pink hair came to mind, "Raphael would murder you.. And me." Especially me. "You could get into a lot of trouble."

Donatello says, "He won't mind, if he does, he will have to deal with Leo." That got a snorted laugh from Michelangelo, Leonardo really is the bodyguard. "I think this will be good for you. Plus, that leg can use some exercise." Donatello spoke like a salesman, but at the very mention of exercise, Michelangelo stops his smiling.

"No. Sorry. Maybe another night." Michelangelo turns a corner and leaves his brother hanging. He wouldn't be able to keep up with Donatello. Exercise is out of the question, what he calls a hard workout is just the tipping point of working up a sweat for them. Recipe for embarrassment. Bad enough that he could not dodge a dispenser machine.

Donatello head hung as he turns around and slowly moves back into his lab.

Michelangelo enters Master Splinter's room, the old questionable father sat on the floor meditating to himself. Leonardo mimics this a lot, the eldest models himself after his father. Those two are so much alike compare to.. The rest of them, himself included.

Master Splinter opens his gray, dark eyes. "Come join me my son."

Michelangelo is pulled from his thoughts, he isn't sure why that he is taken back by Splinter's acknowledgment that he had stepped into his room. He didn't really have anything to say to him, he couldn't escape his worries and naturally gravitates towards the old rat. "Ah, I should go.. Do something, just wanted to say hello."

"Hello." Splinter muses, "Can't a son and father have a sit down talk?"

"Not sure if that is wise. I don't have many positive things to chat about."

"Wise?" Splinter brow raises. "That has never been a concern before."

Michelangelo gave in, closing the door behind him, he steps onto his fathers rug and sits on the floor in front of him. Bowing his head. "That's my point, nothing is as it was before. I thought if I didn't tell them the truth.. I would see my old self through their reflection."

"What you found is how different you are, instead of who you were."

Michelangelo sullenly nods. That is the short version of it all. "Raphael thinks I am a fraud, Donatello knows I suck athletically, who knows what Leo thinks, but I do not have the heart to find out."

"I'm glad to hear of your concerns about your brothers, you are growing to care for them." Master Splinter answers with a warm smile, "Otherwise, you wouldn't be scared to admit you do not remember them."

"No, I am not growing to care for this family at all, I am being held hostage!" Michelangelo refutes strongly, could any of that be true? Looking away as he didn't dare see Splinter's face. "I lived on the streets, I never once considered I had a family. I didn't need it then or now."

An ear twitches, "You made friends, did you not?"

Michelangelo shoots a suspicion icy glare.

"It's in your nature, you are the light and make friends with the most unlikely of people. By that look, I can assume you care deeply for this friend."

Michelangelo head hung in defeat, "Yeah… you read me insanely well."

"You may not have your memories, but you still have your tells. I'll let you on a little secret, nobody defeated me in poker." Splinter says with a hint of pride.

Michelangelo couldn't resist a small smile "You and my friend may get along well, she's big into board games and gambling."

The smile fades and his face turn sadden. Splinter leans in closer now. "I don't know if I belong here. I am not their Mikey, I can't do what he did. I hoped I would get some phenomenon flashback to my past of like, a kettle or something and ponder on what it may mean."

"Like in the stories and movies." Master Splinter strokes his chin, taking a moment to think of his next response. "Are you saying you want a different family?"

Michelangelo shrugs, "You guys are all cool… but…"

"People do not get to pick their families. They are your brothers, everybody grow in different ways, your condition just means you're walking an unexpected path but not alone, never alone."

Michelangelo flinches like his words stung. Rather, he likes it or not, these strangers are his brothers, his family. "They are growing weary of me…"

"Have you ever considered telling them the truth?"

"Heh… I get really nervous around them. Raphael dislikes me, how would he react?" Michelangelo voice broke when he spoke, feeling that nervousness now.

"Like a brother, you need to trust yourself and them."

Master Splinter is wise, Michelangelo is starting to see that. "I'll consider it."

Splinter gets up and Michelangelo instinctively does the same, "Come, let's go have some tea."

He follows Splinter out of the room. "I am not much of a tea-drinker." Mikey says.

"I know." Splinter says warmly, before they reach the kitchen Leonardo intervenes. "May I borrow Mikey?"

"Of course." He turns to Mikey, hand reaching out to his shoulder. "We will have our teatime later."

* * *

Michelangelo did not think it is possible that any of the brothers could get him out of the lair and go for a long run. Leonardo possesses so much good energy that he makes you want to follow his lead. The moment he has seen Leonardo in training Michelangelo began to admire him. There is definitely a certain degree of respect Leonardo has gained, By not bringing up the rough questions of his past making this run much easier. Leonardo knows how to make everyone feel safe, but Michelangelo didn't give completely to that emotion. Good energy can only take a person so far, he has his respect, but not his complete trust.

Instead of feeling inferior in comparison towards Leonardo's talents, in a surprising way he felt free. The brother kept pushing him for the extra mile up hill, whenever he thinks the run is over, the brother guides him to another part of the sewers.

The sewers stink real bad, water everywhere and thankfully their bodies are smaller than most human's, these tunnels can get real tight and small. Not to mention the roaches and spiders up on the walls in some parts. None of that could stop them.

Michelangelo may have forgotten his abilities, his body remains in athletic shape and thanks to Leonardo and his coaching, he proves to Michelangelo that not everything has been lost. His lungs are strong and his own endurance surprises him. In all this time, he didn't think he had this in him.

The best part, he could keep up with Leonardo. Finally, something he could do.

Leonardo did have one advantage over him that kept him in the lead, he is able to flip over debris. Showing off his awe-inspiring flips. While Michelangelo, has to run around them.

"Oh, Leo, but I would win this race if you ran like a normal person."

Leonardo scoffs, "We are not normal, though, this is way more fun." Leonardo let out a yell, leaping upward as he draws his katana's and slices through some old pipes. Falling behind him, "You are eating my dust today."

Michelangelo gasps, "Keep those swords sheath! That was dangerous."

"If you keep maneuvering around your obstacles, you will never win and never get to pick a movie for movie night. That's the deal, beat me and you get to pick."

Michelangelo hesitates now, it felt weird having a stranger know his weaknesses. Movie night is his favorite thing. Though, being put on the spot he did not know what to do.

Fortuitous that Leonardo sense that. "You have your momentum. Now it's about balance and core strength. Leap and tilt forward." Leonardo demonstrates this, taking a leap and landing on his two hands. "Have faith that your arms will catch you, feel your body and keep it balanced. Then, push up from your arms." Leonardo pushes himself up higher and flips into a normal stance. "Go as high as you can and use your core to turn yourself into a stance."

Michelangelo blinks at the complex move, Leonardo is very meticulous in the way he executed it. Nice and slow in hopes that his brain is big enough to absorb those moves. This is nerve-wrecking, no way in this universe or the next could he perform anything like that. Perhaps he should start by doing a handstand before adding those flips. One half of him is terrified, the other felt a spark and a pull to follow Leonardo's lead. Like his body craves for that excitement.

"Take a deep breath. Focus Mikey, just focus."

Michelangelo stomach churns, with a weary wimpy whine, he decides to at least try. "Don't laugh at me."

"Never." Leonardo says with a straight face.

Michelangelo eyes sharpen on him, that is a lie. "Uggghhh." He groans and picks up more speed. He takes his leap of faith, gaining a great height he felt his body turn in the air almost natural, but clumsily. Landing on his arms and balancing himself, there, "Whoa." Amazement on his face.

"Hmm." Leonardo scratches his shoulder shell. "That is pretty good."

It's painful to watch the impotent and clumsy movements of his body, the struggling arms muscles crying out just to hold him, and the overall poor posture. It is good for a novice with natural talent. Michelangelo is a novice again, last night Leonardo held his suspicions, but this is now confirmed. With confusion and dread, he isn't quite sure how to feel about that.

The smile on his brother's face warms him and for now, Leonardo let the feelings flow out and be in the moment. "Uh... Now push up and try and land on your feet." He smiles and gives him an encouraging thumbs up.

"Got it." Michelangelo did just that, managing a terrible flip, but did land on his two feet, but starts swaying, Leonardo both hands grabs his brother's arm to help balance him. "Every day, you will get better with practice and proper training."

"Y-you think I have potential?" says Michelangelo in a hopeful tone.

"You have no idea Mikey, of course I do."

* * *

The run was acculturating. The new sensation of pride and a new level of awesome ran through his veins. He could climb a mountain and not sweat it. The recluse turtle actually left his room and brought along his hyper annoyance to the living room. MP3 in hand, Ear-buds in and his head bobbing. Using his new found energy and prances around the lair doing his own silly little dance and terrible singing.

He did not fear what they thought about him. With how he is feeling, nothing could stop him.

Leonardo sat on the couch, reading a book with a twinkle of a smile at Michelangelo's behavior, he misses this version of him.

Donatello kneels on the floor fiddling with a taken apart iPad, flashing weary glances towards Mikey and being protective of his work. Normally when Mikey is hyper, it ends in the destruction or chaos of his delicate work in his experience. He could no longer bring the shell-van in the lair cause of him. Best to keep an eye on him.

Then there is a cumbersome Raphael is sitting in a lotus position meditating. It's rare he chooses to do this. He is trying to search deep within himself for answers for this complex situation and hoping to find the emotional control to not do anything rash in his anger. His brother is lost and this good-for-nothing is dancing in his skin. It could be a trick, or a trap, he needs to keep the remainder of his family safe. It is his fault, he is always the first to go in and the last to leave. He just assumes everybody would be fine when he jump off the boat, he didn't predict a loose board on a flaming boat to snare his brother's leg and drag Michelangelo down with the ship.

It will forever haunt him. The light of the family is gone.

Meditation kept his sanity. Which he is slowly loosing control of when an annoying humming fraud keeps trying to twerk next to him. Opening his eyes humorlessly, he glances over at the joyful turtle. "I found- I mean, I own this sick iPod, the music moves my body like no other." Michelangelo says unnecessarily loud over the music in his ear, keeping his bobbing head to the beat.

Raphael snags the iPod right from his hand, disconnecting the ear-buds. "The music moves me too." He says dryly, "Hey!" Michelangelo reaches for it, but is only single handily push back with ease. "No, that is enough music." Raphael seethes. To everyone's surprise, even his own, Michelangelo balls up and snarls at Raphael. The two brothers casually glance over.

Michelangelo moves himself into a pouncing position. "You don't want to do that." Raphael warns the fraud. That should put a stop to the cowardly turtle. Normally Mikey would be throwing a tantrum, never fearing him.

He did not give up, Michelangelo with an indigent growl, pounces on Raphael.

Leonardo and Donatello abandon their activity and stand to their feet, looking on uneasily.

"Raph no!" Donatello shouts too late.

Raphael swiftly moves to a low stance and uppercuts Michelangelo in the jaw, he spins in midair causing him to land on his stomach. Hitting the ground hard.

Donatello moves to Michelangelo side, to check on him and protect. "What the shell Raph?"

Raphael rolls the arm that he punched with in a circle, brushing off the blow. "I warned him, he shouldn't of tried to pounce." He says nonchalantly, poorly masking his relief now that he got a long-waited hit in.

Michelangelo moans as he regains consciousness.

"That was too harsh." Leonardo says collectively as his arms cross.

Raphael glowers as his blood boils, a dame starts shattering. "It wasn't. He knows how to block that attack, shell, I even made it easy for him!" His voice rises angrily.

Leonardo lips pieces together as he deliberates his response, eyes calmly staring at his hothead brother. "I lost Mikey too." He says sadly, "I am not going to pretend I understand Mikey right now, but he needs our help! I am going to give that to him so we don't lose him again."

Raphael points his accusatory finger at Michelangelo while staring hard at Leonardo. "No Leo, he is not our brother! Every time I look at him, my gut tells me he is a stranger." A hint of anguish in his voice, saying it aloud like this is painful for everybody.

"Don't be ridiculous." Donatello says, feeling the lingering hurt. "I did a medical check-up myself. He's the real deal."

"Raph's right…" Michelangelo says faintly as he moves to sit on his knees, everyone backs away in disbelief. Except for Raphael, who starts grinning as though saying: Told you so.

"What are you saying?" Leonardo asks surprise, feeling disarmed by his confession

Michelangelo did not say anything for a long moment, his heart palpitating wildly as his energy from before been quelled. All that is left is a disquiet little brother.

"Mikey, it's okay, just speak to us." Donatello voice spoke with reason and kindness that makes the scared turtle look up at all his brothers' faces.

"I did promise I will tell you guys later, guess that time is now to shine a light of everything." He starts wearily, feeling like a fly trapped in a web. "The truth is… I do not know who any of you are. What Raphael said isn't far off from the mark."

Everyone gasps in bewilderment, their jaws dropping. The grin on Raphael face vanishes and flashes a tiny look that Michelangelo assumes is horror. "I don't understand.." Raphael says quietly, trying to hold himself together.

"Guess it's some form of amnesia." Michelangelo knocks on his head. "I didn't even have a name till you guys... I was touched."

"Don?" Leonardo turns him, hoping for some confirmation that this is possible.

"I'd have to do a few tests.." Donatello rubs his chin as his scientist part starts showing. "Normally.. Amnesia doesn't quite work like this. The subject doesn't lose everything, it's more effect their short-term memory and they generally do recall their own identity." His eyes scanning his little brothers, then narrowing back to Leonardo's dismay expression. "It's not impossible.. Maybe not amnesia, but something else."

Leonardo held his breath for a moment, struggling to keep his own cool. "Mikey, why didn't you tell us sooner?"

"Would you tell a stranger your problems?" He retorts, he did not like the pain this caused these guys. Raphael hasn't even glance up at him in some time now, motionless. "First, I thought you were my enemies, simply cause we are the same species did not make us friends."

"This explains why you didn't notice your comic book collection missing, but the fighting should be muscle memory by now." Donatello sighs, even muscle memory could only go so far without the proper knowledge of how it's deployed. "This explains so much. Even why you were timid and quiet."

"But leaves a lot more questions." Leonardo sullenly says. "Like how you survived."

"I don't know about that Leo. Master Splinter knew from the very start, he convinced me to stay. I investigated every body's bedroom looking for a sign that I called this place home once. I found a photograph in Raph room that confirms Splinter wasn't lying or mistaken. I tried to pretend to be Mikey, to find out who I used to be… but telling the truth just got harder."

There is a silence after that, everybody soaking his words. After all this waiting they finally get answers. None of them guess that the problem was this, this may not be fixable. They did not blame their brother for being dishonest as the feeling is more glad that he finally told them.

"I am glad you are safe…" Raphael murmurs so quietly that it is almost missed. Everybody turns to him for a second.

"I really wanted to be your brother, the warrior with all the skills and the gift of drawing. But I can't take the place of Mikey and I should lea-"

Raphael has stepped forward and embraces his brother into a hug. The shattering dam broke. "D-don't say it.." he says with anguish, his voice cracks.

Michelangelo eyes widen large. Rigid in his embrace, the cold turtle heart has thawed to show the warmth he truly has. Raphael says, "You are the light of this family. Nobody laughs when you are gone. I am sorry I doubted you, I couldn't risk believing and being hurt all over again. You should stay here.. With us, you were never a warrior by heart. The fighting came second to you."

Michelangelo felt his cheeks go pink with embarrassing. They all knew the truth and still welcomes him with this warmth. A warmth he hasn't returned, but still they it is offered to him. Raphael in tears, a rare moment of vulnerability that will not show itself again, least not for a very long time.

"One condition." Mikey says as he hugs, enjoying the moment with him.

"Anything." Raphael says.

Michelangelo smiles. "I get to pick movies for movie night."

Leonardo snorts, and a smile from Raphael and Donatello.

"1 movie on movie nights." Raphael says, letting go of the hug, wiping away the tears and lightly punches him in the shoulder.

Michelangelo lost his balance, but then smiles, these creatures are his family and home.

"Tonight is movie night!" Michelangelo says gleefully. "Alice in wonderland!"

"Oh no." Donatello cringes, "What have we done to ourselves?"

Laughter rose, and everyone's hearts felt light once more as it becomes whole that night.


	6. 005: Heaven

: 3

005: **Heaven**

Now that his secret is out, the tension in his family has left. Splinter has given him a knowing smile that spoke of how proud he is. Michelangelo did not know why it made him feel stronger. He did not seek his approval for anything. Raphael has been keeping a certain distance from him, but no longer intimidating him. In truth, his feelings have changed for that turtle. He was his least favorite brother, but now he regards him as his shield. Felt simply silly, he didn't particularly need protection, but Raphael felt the safest to be around. Leonardo has become somewhat of an overbearing mother hen, tiptoeing around him like he has sort of incurable illness. Donatello tests have been mainly focused on his short and long term memory, which results in him being fine current. He has started a trial for memory recollection to see which method is best for Michelangelo, none yielded him any results.

They accepted him and his problem, but adjusting proving difficult, Michelangelo catches the glances of sadness in their eyes when they look at him when they think he can't see them. They are kind, but still hurting. Then there are times when he asks questions, like to Leonardo he asked. "Which one of these comics is mine?"

"All of them." His answer is to Michelangelo extreme delight, but the question makes Leonardo sad.

Then in Donatello's lab, he found a picture of a beautiful red hair human and a handsome scruffy man next to her. "Who are they?"

"Ah… Them? April and Casey, friends of ours. You'll meet them soon enough." Donatello did well to put on a face as though it didn't bother him, it was his voice that gave him away.

Michelangelo always notices these things, sadness is a friend of his and spotting it is a piece of cake.

Master Splinter has given him his original shell-cell. Sitting in the living room floor in a corner, legs cross as he fiddles with the machine. Never handling a cell for himself, Amnesia has its perks, everything old is new again.

The elevator doors open up, three taut brothers walk in.

"It did not happen, Leo." Donatello says in mid-discussion.

Leonardo pauses in his stride, "I know what I heard and saw, it definitely happened."

Raphael walks past them disinterested and leaps onto the couch, grabbing the remote.

"What did I miss?" Michelangelo asks him, keeping a interested eye on Donatello and Leonardo.

Raphael stiffens, rolling his eyes with annoyance. "I am trying not to pay attention to them."

Michelangelo frowns at the useless Raphael. So he waves at the two brothers and motions them to come closer. "Hey guys, bring your, not-interesting, discussion over here."

Leonardo and Donatello comply, giving in to their own exhaustion. Donatello finds the nearest chair and sinks into its soft cushions, Leonardo sat next to Michelangelo on the floor. Up close he saw the soft bruising on all three brothers, "Did you guys get mugged?"

Donatello hand met with his face, Leonardo just chuckles and Raphael glares at him hard. "Yeah, that will never happen." Raphael says, the embarrassment of an mugging would kill any of the three proud turtles.

"We got ambushed by the Foot." Donatello says.

Michelangelo brow rises. "A foot? Like, someone stomp on you?" That word, it did have a familiar ring to it.

"It is an extremist elite group of ninja sets to conjure humanity." Leonardo couldn't contain his laughter. Even Raphael glaring broke as he starts to find the humor in these questions.

"Huh, I heard that somewhere." Michelangelo suddenly felt the rooms tension, he blushes and gestures with both of his hands. "No, no, don't go getting your hopes up. It's probably something I heard recently."

The tension dies and left a lingering disappointment.

"Leonardo here claims a ghost aided him." Donatello says in disbelieve.

Master Splinter enters the room, catching the line of conversation. "A ghost?" He muses, joining them and sits on the couch next to Raphael.

Leonardo snatches a nearby piece of paper, crumbles it and throws it at Donatello's head. "Nice." He fumes.

Donatello is unimpressed and slightly irritated by the paper being thrown. "Knock it off."

Sighing, Leonardo didn't want to share this with Splinter. Fearing he too will simply laugh it off too. "Yeah." He answers depressingly. "We engage in battle with The Foot. They were escorting somebody to the purple dragons."

"They must of had one of their best guarding this person, they just disappeared and we didn't get to see who this VIP was.. Creeps me out." Raphael comments, it reminds him of the elite guard. They could just disappear instantly in a puff of magical smoke.

"It was pretty fishy, but we took care of the regular foot soldiers." Leonardo says, his fingers rubbing against an aching muscle in his leg. "The weirdest thing happened to me, I felt a tap my shell, I immediately did a defensive attack as I spun around, nobody was near me. Further away was a foot with a gun."

Michelangelo blinks. "Ninja's have guns?"

Leonardo inhales sharply. "No, They normally have traditional weapons, this gun is something very new and goes against their code."

From everyone's expression, they are as lost as Michelangelo. Leonardo continues, "I would have been shot if not for the tap. After taking care of that dude, I heard a woman call my name and a shadow running past me and down the ale-way. I gave chase, that is when I saw Donatello being cornered and struggling, a ninja from behind almost had him!"

Michelangelo eyes are as wide as the moon, the story got pretty intense.

"But you had my back, that much I thank you for, but I doubt this shadow was a ghost." Donatello says this almost like it is a fact. "Ghost are not real."

Splinter muses in this story, "What a friendly ghost."

Raphael finally finds his wrestling channel, happily putting the remote down only to get a dirty look from Splinter. He smiles sheepishly and gives the remote to him. No messing with his father, Splinter immediately turns the channel to his soap show.

His attention turns away from the television, not a fan at all of Splinter's favorite shows, looking to Donatello. "Never know Don, people claim they receive messages from the other side all the time."

Everyone looks at him in surprise, "Don't tell me you believe Leonardo."

"Really Raph?" Leonardo queries him, this is unusual for a person like him to take an interest in.

"Well, sure, why not?" Raphael shrugs.

"I can't believe we're debating this." Donatello pinches his glabella. "There is no evidence that there is life after death!" Donatello says louder, trying to get this point across that what Leonardo's claims is impossible, the fiction of the mind. "They have done studies, trying to prove that energy leaves the body at the time of death. They found nothing change."

"Yet I felt the spirit, heard it, and saw it. At one point something knocked two of them down. It's for real."

Raphael grins, "Sounds like you screwed up and accidentally knock them down."

"Thought you were on my side…" Leonardo sulks at Raphael's betrayal and waves a finger at Donatello. "Donnie, the spirit guided me to you when you needed me, or I would be have been carrying you home."

"I'm on my own side, could be real or stories dumb paranoid people come up with to explain the wind on their face." Raphael says impassively

Leonardo snarls at him.

"It did not happen." Donatello says dismissively. "To admit that ghost exists is admitting the very existence of heaven and hell. There is no evidence that a soul leaves the body upon death."

Leonardo body wilts. "Science doesn't have an answer for everything."

"That is just an excuse to not see the logic in my words." Donatello says sharply, then groans, this is starting to get irritating. His arm lolls on the side of the armchair as his body stretches out. His back is killing him.

"I hear footsteps sometimes." Raphael interrupts the conversation. "Down in one of the tunnels on my usual run, sometimes I hear somebody following me."

"Tunnel 78?" Donatello asks, that tunnel used to be a place homeless gather around in winter till its collapse. Took them a week to recover all 15 bodies.

"That's the one."

"Probably just the echo of your own two feet or your own imagination." Donatello says.

Intrigue, Leonardo rubs his chin, he's been through that tunnel and never heard footsteps. Never considered it could be a haunted location.

Raphael scoffs at the very notion of it being his imagination. "I don't have one, and if I did, I would be hearing a wrestling match."

Master Splinter thoroughly enjoyed listening to Leonardo ghost and Donatello's doubts, Raphael in between. It is a topic that has been debated for centuries with no winners. Turning to the youngest of the family, Michelangelo was overly silent and uncomfortable. Talking about ghost did not agree with him. "What about you, Mikey, what do you think?"

Everyone shot an intriguing glance over to the quiet brother. He squirms in his spot, "Me?!" Michelangelo squeaks and averts his eyes away from them.

"Yes! You." Raphael says forcefully.

Leonardo protective side triggers, "Raph! He may not understand." He scolds with a calm demeanor.

Raphael waves dismissively. "He has amnesia, not retarded. He gets it." He retorts.

Donatello grits his teeth, "Well, that was an incredible insensitive thing to say."

Michelangelo cheeks flush, the way they spoke about him is not very honorable. "Well?" Raphael says to Michelangelo, he clams up with a sour face. "I don't want to talk about it…"

Leonardo glares at Raphael, "You are upsetting him!"

Raphael ignored Leonardo's warning. Keeping his eyes focused on Michelangelo. "Look, I get it, you still don't completely trust us, you don't remember us, or what we do and how we do it, in the same prospective, we do not know you, how you survived and where you were. We can share the memories you lost, but you have to meet us half way and share your own. Give us a little so we can get to know each other better."

That is surprisingly wise from Raphael and the challenge leaves Michelangelo in an awkward stance. Wanting nothing more than to close up and erase this one memory he did have. Everyone is quietly waiting for a response from the youngest, he is trying to wrap his mind around the fact he has to open up to them. Will they scorn him too?

"My first memories are tricky." He starts, pausing as he deliberates in his words, finally looking at everyone's faces as they inch in closer, eager to hear what he recalls. "I don't want to sound delusional, but I can say with clarity, I have been to heaven."

That left a sting to them all, growing concern for Michelangelo as nobody believes that to be a fact.

"Are you saying you met with the Christ O' Mighty?" Donatello asks skeptically.

"That would mean you died, but clearly you are still with us." Leonardo shoulder drops some, leaning back against the wall as his blue eyes studies the youngest. They were all studying him.

Michelangelo body sieges up, almost unable to move a muscle in him. His eyes dart towards Raphael, who kept a calm energy about him and somehow, gave him the courage to go on. "You guys mention a blazing boat going down and me with it, I remember it faintly.. In my nightmares. I didn't think meant anything, just a fear of water. I saw myself die." He whispers the last bit, suddenly feeling sad himself. Leonardo face has turned white, riddle with his own guilt and Raphael is rigid in his spot.

Donatello kept a logical expression on.

"Like, I started to feel floaty, like one of those outer-body experiences. I watched myself drown and felt the stinging in my lungs as I inhaled the water. I was waiting for somebody, I don't know who I just knew they would be there. As my body died, I found myself in another place."

"Heaven?" Donatello asks.

Michelangelo shrugs some, "Sort of, it was more a stream of energy of lost souls. I already lost all sense of my identify and memories. Just felt like I was going to wait for an eternity for that someone. I was empty and so very lost." Michelangelo fidgets nervously. Saying it aloud really did make it seem like he is crazy, this is exactly why he didn't want to remember or talk about it.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't find you when the boat went down." Raphael says remorsefully, he searches far and wide around the boat for him.

"Neither of us could." Leonardo adds in, lamenting the memory. "What happens next?"

Michelangelo pauses, was the person he was waiting for be them? Waiting for them to find and rescue him? Guess it makes sense. "Well…" He hesitates. Raphael hand clenches hard to his knee, Leonardo is visibly shaken, and Donatello demeanor starts to wear, breaking his cool objective view and showing tears. Listening to his recollection of death upsets them. Master Splinter is a hard read, his eyes close like he is meditating.

"The light of the cosmos. I walk a path with many lost souls like my own. Till somebody came for me, halting me in my path and with a very angry voice, told me I am in danger. I didn't understand, Why was I in danger walking this path? He said his name was Yoshi, Japanese, brown hair."

Splinter eyes shot open and leaps to his feet with a gasp. "You met Yoshi?"

That is an unexpected response. Pure shock on their father's face. "Yeah, really angry Yoshi. When I turned around, I saw another spirit called Tang Sheng, felt like a grandmother, loving and vibrant."

Falling back down in his chair, shaking, Tang Sheng is a name he had not remembered in a very long time. "Tang-shen was murdered by a man called Yukio Mashimi, she saved me from a life on the streets and Yoshi was my master back when I was just a mere young rat. Shredder killed him when he didn't give up information."

"Oh…" Michelangelo did not expect this story to have any real connection to them. These people he saw were real humans once, weird. "She told me, Stop, walk no further on this path and go back. She embraces me, I didn't realize how lonely I have been till I touch her. Yoshi came next to her, he said I am lost and I must not lose my true self. Life isn't done with me yet. Ribbons reach out from the stars, blue, red, purple, brown, pink, gray, they wrap around me with this wicked shield of warmth… then…"

"Then what?" Leonardo says eagerly.

Michelangelo looks at his hands, stretches out his fingers. "I woke to my hands being tied. In a lab somewhere, a friend helped me escape."

"That story is incredible." Master Splinter says in awe, small happy tear in his eye. Hearing of his beloved Yoshi gave him strength.

"Really is.." Donatello says, unable to think of a scientific term to explain all of that. Doesn't mean he believes it to be true, just that it needs more research. "A lab?" He questions as his eyes narrowing on him.

"Yeah, guess they brought me back." Michelangelo didn't give it another thought.

"Thank the heavens they did, we still need you." Raphael says with a smile, relaxing now that the story time is over. It was all in the past and it works out.

Leonardo just stares at the floor.

"Stop being a sap!" Michelangelo whines, it felt wrong that Raphael would say something so cheesy to him. The two of them laugh it off.

"How about we go for a slice of real heaven - pepperoni pizza!"

No argument there, everyone cheers, except for Leonardo, who excuses himself to his bedroom.


End file.
